


the province of the brave

by sabinelagrande



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Dom Vax'ildan, Dom Vex'ahlia, Dom/sub, F/M, Femdom, Inexperienced Dom, Inexperienced Sub, Kink Negotiation, Lifestyle BDSM, Maledom, Post-Chroma Conclave, Spanking, Sub Keyleth, Sub Percy de Rolo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 07:10:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9061876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sabinelagrande/pseuds/sabinelagrande
Summary: Vax doesn't know what he's doing, but who does?





	

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to pearwaldorf for helping me out! <3

It would always be strange to Vax how easy it all was. Getting together with Keyleth in the first place had not been easy in the least; if he was perfectly honest, some of it was like pulling teeth. But that was in the past now, and things had been steady for a few months, months that, despite many calamities, had been pretty great on the romantic front.

Sexually speaking, things were equally smooth. Keyleth was inexperienced at the beginning, true, but that didn't matter for long. Vax was perfectly happy with the whole situation; he could have gone without things changing, just floated on by and not known there was even a change to be made.

And yet.

It could have happened any time, really, but when it did, they were at Whitestone. The day been kind of boring, honestly, and by the time Vax knocked on Keyleth's door, he was more than ready for a diversion.

Things went about the way that these things always went. This is not to knock what happened or suggest it was subpar for being familiar. Vax was beyond pleased that Keyleth wanted to go any way with him, and just because he had the privilege to see her naked on a regular basis didn't mean he took it for granted.

But at any rate, kisses were had, and clothes came off, and Keyleth lay on the bed before him, all soft curves and pale skin, her hair fanned out across the pillow. When it came to this, Vax was one lucky son of a bitch, and he was going to enjoy it to the very best of his ability.

Just as Vax went to get into bed, Keyleth rolled out of the way. "If you want me, you have to catch me," she said, grinning. 

Vax grinned back; it was a favorite game of Keyleth's, making him work for it. He was faster than her and they both knew he'd get the upper hand quickly, but that wasn't really the point. The thrill was in the chase, for both of them, and Keyleth never once complained about getting caught.

Vax dove towards her, but Keyleth slipped out from under him again, off the bed this time. He was ready for it, nimbly jumping in pursuit. She feinted left and went right, and he caught air.

"I'm impressed," he said.

"I'll be impressed if you catch me," she challenged. 

"Then get ready to be stunned," he replied.

She tried to deke him again, but he didn't fall for it twice. Vax grabbed her around the waist, pulling her with him as he sat down. He manhandled her over his lap, both of them laughing, and without even really thinking about it, he slapped her ass.

Everything stopped.

"Shit," Vax said, when Keyleth went stiff. "Did I hurt you?"

"A little," Keyleth said. In a small, uncertain voice, she added, "In a good way?"

"Is this okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," Keyleth said, though she sounded shocked. "This is very okay."

"Stop me if it's too much," he said, running a hand over the curve of her ass.

"I think I like it because it's too much," she said.

"Stop me if it's not what you want," he amended. Before they could both rethink it, Vax smacked her again. She reacted this time, arching up, and he struck again, and again, and again. Keyleth moaned, resting her cheek against the bed. Vax didn't miss the way she ground against his leg, looking for friction however she could get it.

Her ass went pink under his hand, shading darker as he kept at it. It made a lovely contrast against her pale skin, and Vax wondered how long it would stay that way, whether it was going to be gone in hours or if he could see it the next day. It was jarring to realize that he wanted it to stay, that he wanted to mark her. He'd never been that guy, not even the kind to leave a hickey, but there it was anyway, a need to see his mark on her skin.

Still, he wasn't sure how far he dared to go; better to check in before- in case- he got carried away. "How do you feel?" he said, sliding his hand down her ass and towards her cunt.

"Great," she said, spreading her legs wider. His fingers slipped easily inside of her, and she let out a sigh as his thumb found her clit, rubbing circles there. Vax wasn't sure she'd ever been so wet; this was all an accident to start with, but he was pretty sure they'd just found their new thing.

He rocked his fingers in and out of her, slapping her ass with his other hand, and it wasn't long until she was squirming on top of him, her hands fisted in the sheets. He could tell she was close, and he didn't stop, wanting to push her over the edge.

"That's it," Vax said, voice soothing even as he slapped her. "Come for me."

Keyleth gasped when it hit her; she shook with it, pushing back hard against Vax's fingers. He kept moving them, kept drawing it out, and she peaked again before going limp. Vax didn't try to move her, just stroked her hair and murmured to her, little calming things that didn't make much sense.

Keyleth finally moved, but only enough to turn and put her arms around Vax. She hugged him close for a moment before looking at him, a slight frown on her face. "But you didn't get to-"

"Let's not worry about me for a second," he said. "Trust me, I won't forget." Keyleth giggled, sounding like she was a little high. "How do you feel?"

"Kinda fuzzy," she said. "I like it though."

"So, that was new," Vax said, though he wasn't sure whether Keyleth was quite capable of any intelligent analysis at the moment.

"It was fun," she said. "Didn't you have fun?"

"I had a fucking fantastic time," he said honestly, because he didn't know what to do but admit it.

"Good," Keyleth sighed. "I'm just gonna lie here for a minute."

"Take your time," Vax said, running a hand down her back. "I'm here."

And that was more or less all it took for them to learn that Keyleth liked a little pain with her pleasure, and that Vax liked to give it to her. Somehow it all seemed so natural in its progression, from play fighting and spanking to Keyleth's hair wrapped around Vax's fist, her body pinned against the wall or the bed while Vax fucked her hard. He thought sometimes that he should feel bad about it, but his Keyleth was so strong, literally a force of nature, and it would take much more than that to bring her down.

So something seemed inevitable about the day Keyleth came to him, looking pensive and concerned.

"What's the matter, Kiki?" he asked. "You look unhappy."

"I don't know if unhappy is the right word," she said. "Can we talk?"

"I always have time to talk to you," he said. "What's up?"

He could see her wrestling with herself, working through possibilities in her head, and he wanted to reach out and smooth out the lines on her forehead, calm her.

"I don't know a lot about how relationships work," Keyleth said, which was both something Vax knew and an odd way to begin a conversation. "I know enough to know ours isn't normal."

"Normal is overrated," Vax said, ignoring the way that introduction felt like a threat.

"I don't think I want to be normal," she said, and he relaxed ever so slightly. "I don't want to stop what we do." She looked down, looking more like she was collecting her thoughts than hiding her face. "I wonder what it would be like if it was that way all the time."

"What would that mean?" he prompted, unsure what else to say.

"Maybe I don't want you to ask anymore," she said. "Maybe if we're alone but not in bed, you remind me of where we stand." She looked up at him. "Please stop me if I'm not making sense. I'm making this all up as I go along."

"I think you're making perfect sense," he said, reaching for her hand. "I didn't know you felt this way."

"I do," she said with a sigh. "Do you?"

He pressed her hand to his lips. "I'm a mess," he said. "I am a complete catastrophe on a regular basis. I don't deserve someone like you, and I never have. But if you want to give yourself to me, I will do _everything_ to make sure you feel safe and loved."

"That's what I want," she said. "I think I've wanted it for a long time."

Vax tangled a hand in her hair, pulling her close to kiss her. "Then it's what you'll get."

"So, um," Keyleth said. "How?"

"That's a very good question," he said. "I've never done this before."

"Oh," she said, sounding surprised. "I was kind of hoping you had."

"I am exactly as lost as you are," he told her, which he knew wasn't very reassuring.

"I don't want to get it wrong," she said.

Vax almost told her that there wasn't a way to do it wrong, but then he thought about that statement; there were probably a lot of ways to do it wrong. "I don't think there's one way to do it right," he said instead. He was struck by an idea. "I don't want to violate your privacy, but I think there's someone we could ask, or maybe someones."

"I think I know the someones you're talking about," Keyleth said.

"Is that okay?" he asked. "I know it's a lot to tell other people about. Not that I think it needs to be general knowledge, because I shudder to think what some of our traveling companions would have to say about it."

"Yeah, no," Keyleth said. "But I think some strategic information gathering might help out."

"I'll see what I can do," Vax said. He smiled. "Only the best for my girl."

"I like that," she said, and her smile was the same radiant one that Vax had fallen in love with in the first place.

But Vax was left with no small task, and he was going to need some liquid courage.

Maybe a lot of it.

* * *

Vex was in Scanlan's mansion when her world flipped over.

There was no special import to the location, just a place she was in a lot. It could have been anywhere, but when Vax came to find her, Vex was in the hallway talking to Percy, remarking on a particularly garish painting of a bare-chested Scanlan with one foot on Vorugal's head. She stood behind him, her arms wrapped around him, her chin propped up on his shoulder as they contemplated Scanlan's sense of design.

"You can help us settle this, brother," Vex said, as Vax approached the two of them. "Has this one changed, or was he always holding Mythcarver in his teeth?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Vax said.

"Of course," Vex said, frowning at his tone, and she let go of Percy. "It's nothing serious, is it?"

"It could be," he said, and Vex noticed the way he didn't look at Percy. "Just come with me."

"I'll see you later, then," Percy said, giving her a kiss on the cheek before she left.

Vax led her down into Scanlan's wine cellar. "I think we decided last time that these bottles were all the same," he said, grabbing a bottle of Le Whitemeat at random and pulling out the cork.

"You want to talk about Percy, don't you," Vex said.

Vax held up a finger to pause her as he chugged from the bottle in his other hand.

"I'll wait," Vex said. 

"Let me preface this by saying that we give each other a lot of shit about our respective relationships," he said, after lowering the bottle. 

"Mostly me," Vex said.

"You said it, not me," Vax said. "I want us to have a conversation where we don't."

"I think I can put it on hold for a few minutes," she said.

"I want no details whatsoever," he said. "But you and I have similar tastes, do we not?"

Vex gave him a concerned look. "Are you saying you're interested in Percy?"

"Fuck no," Vax said. "He's cute but you can keep him."

"Then how do you think we're alike, other than in about a billion ways?" she asked.

Vax looked at her for a moment, then chugged again.

"I want what you and Percy have," he said afterwards. "Keyleth does too. We just don't know how to get there."

"I'm touched," Vex said, though she was more confused, "but if we're comparing, I think your relationship is the more stable one. You've been at it longer, at any rate."

Vax sighed and chugged.

"You're going to make yourself sick," Vex said, not stopping him.

"Look, we're talking about sex, alright?" Vax said, and Vex was taken aback. "Maybe a lot more than that, but mostly sex. And I don't want to know anything specific, but I want to know how you manage it."

Vex took the bottle out of Vax's hand and chugged.

"I hoped Scanlan's taste in wine had gotten better, but it has not," Vex said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Now you see why I've been drinking it so fast," Vax said.

"I may regret saying this within seconds," she said, "but please tell me in absolutely clear terms what you are asking about. Talking around it is obviously not working."

"I'm asking you how you deal with the job of handling Percy," Vax said. "I know he must take a firm hand, but-"

"I don't 'handle' Percy," Vex said, giving him a look. "He can take care of himself."

"You don't need to lie to me, alright?" he said, sounding annoyed. "I know I'm your brother, but don't insult my intelligence."

"Vax, I'm not insulting anything," she said. "I don't know where you got the impression-"

"We literally had a conversation about it," he replied. "All that stuff about you being the only one he listens to-"

"I didn't think you meant in bed," she said. "I'm sorry for whatever you've imagined, but Percy and I are perfectly normal."

Vax stared at her for a long moment.

"Awkward," he said under his breath, before finishing his bottle of wine.

"Fuck it," she said, pulling down another bottle of wine and uncorking it. "You'll be falling over drunk in a moment and I have so many questions."

"I brought it on myself," Vax said.

She took a big swig of Scanlan's subpar wine. "First things first," she said. "Keyleth agreed to this?"

"She may not have experience, but she keeps an open mind," he said, and Vex did not ask for elaboration. "What you- what I _thought_ you and Percy were doing sounded like a good time."

"And you came to me because you thought you and I were on the same side of the equation," Vex guessed.

Vax raised an eyebrow. "Look me in the face and tell me that between the two of you, Percival Frederickstein Von Et Cetera the Third would be on top."

"Point taken," Vex said, taking a drink.

"Also I'd have to drink so much to get up the nerve to ask Percy that I'd forget what he said," he added.

"That goes without saying," she said. "Can I ask why you assumed that Percy and I-" She let the sentence trail off.

"Fuck, I don't know," Vax said. "The way you treat him. You've had your hands on his purse strings from the start, and we both know how you feel about money."

She gave him a cold look. "Do you think he bought me?"

"No, but you do get off on the power of controlling coin," he said.

Vex shrugged. "I'm not going to say you're wrong."

"It's little things," Vax said. "And big ones, like how he only follows orders that come from you."

"When he follows them at all," Vex said.

"He lets you get away with shit he'd slap the rest of us for," Vax said. "All the time."

"That's just because I'm his-" she tried to counter, but stopped, sorting it in her head. "Fuck me, I think you're right. But it's not that way in bed."

"I'm going to need a run up to this one," he said, and Vex gave him her bottle. He took a fortifying gulp before continuing. "You too," he said, passing the bottle back and waiting for her to take a drink. "You mean to tell me that you've never once pulled his hair or smacked his ass or told him not to-?"

"I thought you didn't want details," Vex said quickly.

"I'll take my answer yes-no, please," he said.

"Everyone does stuff like that, don't they?" she said.

"Probably more than admit it, but most people don't make it a habit," he said. "Look, I'm not just telling you this because I want to drag you down with me into something that scares me a little. I'm asking you because I think we're alike, and I need someone on my side."

"You've dragged me down into a lot of scary things over the years," she said.

Vax smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "What's one more, right?"

Vex said nothing for a moment, and neither did Vax. In truth, the thoughts she was having were not ones she wanted to share with her brother. She rearranged things in her head, moments that seemed innocuous by themselves but formed a pattern of behavior. The plain truth was that it wasn't new. Percy let her do whatever she wanted, and yes, that included pulling his hair, and visiting other more serious torments upon him. She had a kind of power over him, in and out of bed, and she couldn't deny that she enjoyed it.

There were two paths Vex's life could have taken at this point. She could shut Vax down and go about her business, let all of this be just a weird thing Vax said once. That, or she could admit the satisfaction she felt when Percy let her win, stumble into the darkness and hope she could find her way through.

"So what do people do, when this is what they do?" she asked, choice made.

Vax sighed. "That's what I came to you for, so that would be the blind leading the blind."

"Should we just figure it out together, then?" Vex said.

"Together, but mostly separate," he said. "My liver can't take frequent conversations like this."

"Deal," she said. "Fuck, I have to talk to Percy about this."

"If it makes you feel any better, talking to Keyleth was easier than you'd expect," he offered.

Vex fought the urge to make a retching noise, but only because she'd promised she wouldn't. "Percy is a horse of a different color."

"If Percy were a horse, he'd be a show pony," Vax mused. "There would be plumes."

"He'd be the pride of the circus," Vex said. "But that's not the point."

"You do what you need to do," he said. "I know I'm the one who brought it up, but I'm not really sure what our cooperation is supposed to look like."

Vex set her bottle aside before taking both his hands in hers. "When it gets scary," she said, "when it feels like too much or like you're doing something wrong, you come to me."

"Same to you," Vax said, squeezing her hands. He let her go, looking around at the wine bottles. "Bet you I can hit one of these things in midair with a dagger."

"You know, I am incredibly curious as to how that would end," she said, picking up one of the full bottles and testing its heft. 

Vax drew his daggers. "Pull!" he shouted, and the game was on.

* * *

Vex could count on one hand the number of times she hadn't been delighted for Percy to show up at her room at night. Usually it heralded an excellent time, but that night, she almost turned him away. But if there was anything in the world Vex was not, it was cowardly. This might be the night everything got irretrievably fucked up between her and Percy, but she was going to stare it in the face.

"Come in," she said when he knocked, and Percy stepped in; her heart seized at the sight of him, in a way it hadn't in a while. Still, she made herself get up and go to him, giving him a kiss in greeting.

"You're nervous," Percy said; he ran his hands down her arms, a soothing gesture. "What's wrong?"

"Darling," Vex said, trying to sound casual. "Vax said the strangest thing."

"He does that, doesn't he," Percy said. "What was it?"

"He thinks that, like, you and me, we have a thing," she said, moving her hands in a way that was hopefully illustrative, "where I'm in charge, in a sex way, but also in more than a sex way, like you let me be in control, and maybe everyone knows it except us. Isn't that such a strange thing to say? Totally random, right?"

Percy considered this for a moment. "While I'm not excited that it came from your brother, that seems like a reasonable extrapolation."

"It does?" she said.

"The last time I had any control at all in this relationship was the first time we kissed," Percy said. "You have proceeded to run circles around me ever since."

Vex deflated. "I'm so sorry if I-"

"Don't be," he said, taking her hand and kissing her knuckles. "I love it."

"Why?" she asked tentatively, completely unsure of the answer.

"Do you know what I miss most about my life before the Briarwoods?" Percy asked; Vex didn't respond, being keenly attuned to Percy's philosophical voice by now. "I miss the certainty of it. I miss waking up every morning and knowing there would always be food and money and nice things whenever I wanted them. I took being cared for as a given then. I took _safety_ as a given then. Now when I wake up, nothing is a given, but I have you. And I know you will be there with comfort and support and, yes, all my money, and it feels like being home. You make me feel cared for. You have no idea how valuable that commodity is, and I will go to any lengths to keep it." He shrugged. "And as for everything else, well, you are devastatingly attractive when you push me around."

"I love you," Vex said, unable to find another response, though it felt so paltry next to what he'd given her.

"And I you, without reservation," Percy said, kissing her.

"It just seems like there should be more," she said. "I didn't know it was a thing you could just back into on accident."

"We can cobble something more formal together if you like," he said. A mischievous look crossed his face. "You know, you so rarely use your proper style."

"And what style is that?" she asked.

"As Baroness of the Third House and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, your correct form of address in Whitestone is 'my lady'," he told her, sitting down on the bed and pulling her onto his lap. "We would also accept 'grand mistress', but to be perfectly honest, it feels a bit old for you. If my lady wishes, it seems like such a nice thing to corrupt."

"You're just enabling my taste for power, darling," she said, putting her arms around his neck.

"Oh, I absolutely am," he said. "What else is this, really?"

"It seems like there's more than that," she said. "Comfort. Maybe a tiny bit of lust."

"Just the barest smidgen," Percy said. "Trust," he said more seriously.

"I don't know how trustworthy I really am," Vex said.

"Then I'll make sure to remind you exactly how deserving you are," he said. Vex looked away, unable to face a statement like that, but Percy put a hand under her chin, tilting her face back and kissing her.

"So what else do we have, other than a sexy misuse of peerage?" she asked.

"There is something I've been waiting for the right moment to say, and this seems like the time," Percy said. He looked her in the eye. "There is almost nothing I would not let you do to my body. Say the word, and it's yours."

"That's a far-reaching statement," Vex said, masking the thrill that went through her. "I could want any number of things."

"As long as you want me, I can probably deal with it," he said.

"I do want you," she said, pushing him down onto the bed. "Let's see if you can keep up."

"Anything you want, my lady," he said.

"It has such a ring to it when you say it," Vex said. 

She hesitated for a moment; it was a big one, full of uncertainty. She thought of all the things she'd thought about doing and held back on, things that seemed like warning signs now. She thought of how he looked underneath her, waiting for her to wreck him, ready to face that side of her with unflinching trust.

If she was ever going to do it, this would be the time.

She bent down over him and put her hands on his collarbones, not choking him but getting ever so close, close enough that he couldn't forget she could. "You've been so vague, dear," she said. "You'll let me do anything, but what would make you fall apart for me? Do you want me to hurt you? Or keep you on the edge? Or control your every move? Or do you not want to see it coming?"

"Maybe, yes, fuck yes, and maybe again," Percy said.

"You're so smart, Percival," she said. "I want to see what you're like when you stop thinking so hard."

He shook his head. "I honestly have no idea."

"Let's find out together, shall we?" Vex said, kissing him hard; Percy gave in immediately, letting her take him how she wanted. When she pulled away, he looked back at her with such perfect, honest surrender, and she felt lightheaded for a moment. 

She climbed off of him, standing up. "Undress me," she said imperiously, and Percy was there in a moment, lifting the hem of her shirt and pulling it off over her head. Without prompting he folded it, tossing it onto her chair. He went to his knees in front of her, untying the drawstring of her pants and easing them down, her underwear after, leaving her naked in front of him. 

He sat back on his heels, waiting for further instruction, and Vex weighed her options. "Well, since you're down there," she said, grabbing him by the back of the head and pressing his face against her. Percy didn't miss a beat, diving in hungrily, licking and sucking at her clit. She clutched at him, fingernails digging into his scalp, but he didn't seem dissuaded in the least.

"Like that," she sighed. "You're greedy for it, aren't you? I could leave you there as long as I wanted and you'd be perfectly content." Percy hummed in response, something Vex felt rather than heard, and she gripped him tighter. "Maybe I will. Maybe I'll take a whole afternoon and never let you off your knees." She strongly considered tossing him a pillow and doing it right then and there, but it wasn't what she wanted. She let him go, shoving him away. "Stand up, strip, and get on the bed."

Percy hastened to do it, hands quick and shaky as he undid his shirt buttons, and Vex put a hand around his neck and pulled him in, kissing him hard and fast before she let him go back to his task. Soon enough he was naked, waiting for her on the bed; she was familiar with his body, but something about it felt like she was seeing him for the first time.

She crawled onto the bed, straddling his hips. His cock was hard against her, and she couldn't handle how much she needed it inside of her. She grabbed his wrists, pulling his arms over his head and pressing them into the mattress.

"Keep them there," she said, tightening her grip on his wrists before letting them go. "You're going to be a good boy and do exactly what I tell you, when I tell you. Aren't you, darling?"

"Yes, my lady," Percy said, already breathless. "Anything you say."

"Don't you fucking forget it," Vex said. She grabbed his cock, kneeling up so she could guide it inside of her; she groaned at the feeling, exactly what she needed so badly. There was probably a more imposing way to do this, take it slow and make him wait it out. Then again, it was her show, and she was going to get it exactly how she wanted.

"This isn't for you," she said, working her hips. "This is for me, and I want it hard. Are you going to give it to me?"

"Absolutely, my lady," Percy said; she moaned as he started to thrust up into her, meeting her as she moved on him. He was true to his word, not hesitating in the slightest. If he was half as turned on as she was, he must have been going out of his mind, but he focused in on her, just her. He fisted his hands in the bedsheets, not daring to move them.

It struck Vex that she had this all along, that at any point she could have thrown open this particular door and let herself have what was on the other side. Now that it was open, she knew she'd never be able to close it, but she had no intention to try. Percy looked too good like this, open and wanting but keeping it all together just because she said to, and she was going to have quite the time seeing how far this went.

For now, though, she couldn't go much farther. It was too good, too much, Percy's cock lighting her up inside; she shouted when she came, clutching at Percy's chest for some kind of support, something to anchor her while she shook with it. 

"Catch me," Vex said, not sure if it made sense, but Percy put his hands on her, steadying her as she rode it out, the connection she needed to get through it.

She all but collapsed forward, lying on Percy's chest as she came back to herself. He stroked a hand down her back, and she just stayed there for a moment, letting herself unwind. She finally pulled away, kneeling beside him.

"Smart boy," she said, taking ahold of his cock. "You know this belongs to me, don't you?"

"Yes, my lady," he said.

"I've thought about doing this to you," she said, stroking him slowly. "Having you at my mercy and not giving you what you want. I guess it just took me until now to admit how much I wanted it."

"I'm glad?" Percy said uncertainly.

"I don't know if I would be, in your situation," Vex said.

"Honestly, I don't know if I am," he said. "May I come anyway?"

"I think you'd better come up with a good reason why you deserve it," she said, stilling her hand, and Percy groaned. "I'm not inclined to let you off lightly."

"Please, my lady," he panted. "I've done what you asked. I'll do anything else you want, just please let me-"

"That sounded conditional," she said, pretending to be bored. "Either you'll do anything I want, or you're just trying to keep me happy so you can come."

Percy looked at her for a moment. "Can't it be both?" he said.

"No," she said. She swung a leg over his hips, letting his cock rub against her wetness, and Percy bit his lip. "Say you'll give me what I want. Swear to it."

"Everything," he said fervently. "I've always been yours. I'll give you anything to prove it."

She wrapped her hand around his cock again, bending down over him. "Swear."

"I swear I will always give you everything you want," he said. "I swear it on my very soul."

"It's a little worn, but still good," Vex said, putting her other hand over his heart. "Now come."

She moved her hand quickly, and it barely took a minute for Percy to come, striping white across both of them. Vex ran a hand through his hair, kissing him softly as they recovered. She felt completely spent, like this had taken more out of her than sex ever had before. Maybe that wasn't a surprise; there was so much more here, layers that were brand new but maybe had been there the whole time.

She eventually rolled off of him, curling up against his side, and Percy put an arm around her, holding her close.

"That was amazing," Percy said with a sigh.

"It was, wasn't it," Vex said. "I think we should do it again."

"Absolutely," he said. He shut his eyes. "Give me thirty minutes."

Vex laughed. "I'll need more than that," she said.

"As much time as you need," he told her. "I'll be here."

* * *

Percy and Keyleth sat in the library, at either end of a couch. Percy sat with his feet on the cushions, knees bent to support a lap desk he was using to sketch on; Keyleth sat with her feet under her, engrossed in a heavy book about herbalism. They didn't speak to one another, but the silence felt companionable, space-filling talk unnecessary between two people so close.

They both looked up when Vex came in. "I've been dispatched to tell you both that dinner is late," she told them.

"Don't we have servants for that sort of thing?" Percy said.

"I was in the right place at the wrong time," Vex said, walking over to stand behind Percy. "What are you two so intent on?"

"The uses of gracetree bark," Keyleth said.

"Siege engines," Percy said, tilting his board so Vex could see.

"Very impressive," Vex said. "I suppose I'll leave you to it." She looked from Percy to Keyleth, from Keyleth to Percy, and shrugged. She fisted a hand in Percy's hair, pulling his head back and pecking him on the lips before letting him go and walking towards the door. "Don't work too hard."

"We should have a conversation sometime," Percy said to Keyleth after Vex was gone, setting his drawing board aside and hopping up.

"Probably," Keyleth said. "But not right now."

"You read my mind," he said, hastening to follow Vex. Keyleth was left to her own devices again, but it didn't bother her; Percy was good company, but her book was fascinating. She'd be okay on her own.

She did set it aside eventually, but only because Vax walked in. "I saw Freddie chasing my sister down the hall," he said, sitting next to her on the couch.

"I thought he would have caught her by now," she said. "She didn't get much of a head start."

"He was trying to be very discreet about it, or he'd have done it," he said.

"Do you want me to chase you down the hall?" Keyleth asked, unfolding her legs from underneath her so she could sit close to him.

"Let's be honest," Vax said, putting an arm around her. "I'd be chasing you."

"I'd let you," she said. "But maybe when there weren't so many people around."

"I'm okay with that," Vax said. "My sister's a little more blatant than I am."

Keyleth laid her head on his shoulder. "It's good to have her on our side."

"Yeah, it is," he said. "Even if it means I have to entertain untoward thoughts about Percy sometimes."

"Thanks for your sacrifice," she said. "Does it bother you that they're not like us?"

"Not in the slightest," he said. "Maybe adjacent is as close as we need to be. I don't think either of us is doing anything wrong."

"That's all that matters to me," she said, kissing him. 

Vax let her go, stretching out on the couch and resting his head in her lap. "Tell me something about your book."

Keyleth picked it up again, flipping to a page she'd marked. "Okay, so you know those little blue flowers that grow near the temple of Pelor? Well, if you take those and some honey…"


End file.
